Mother's Day
by Marlyssa
Summary: IT"S DONE! Mother's Day is coming up and Ingrid's acting weird. Despite her constant reassurances that she's fine Fillmore knows something's up. But Ingrid's not talking. Can Fillmore figure out what's up without Ingrid finding out?
1. Act I

Ingrid was sitting at her desk in Safety Patrol headquarters staring blankly at her calender. 'It's only a week away,' she thought to herself.   
  
"Third!" It was Vallejo. "Do you know where Fillmore is?"  
  
"Well," she said putting away her calendar and checking her watch. "He should be back right...about........"  
  
"Now." Ingrid and Fillmore announced at the same time as Fillmore came in.  
  
"Good, Folsome wants to see the two of you in her office."  
  
Ingrid got up and followed Fillmore out the door.  
  
"What do you think she want's this time?" Ingrid asked.  
  
"I have no idea. Hold up, do you think she found out that I'm the one who dented her car?" Fillmore asked almost accusingly.  
  
"Of course she didn't find out! We're the only ones who know and I didn't tell her." Ingrid assured him as they reached Folsome's office. When they got there Folsome greeted them unusually sweetly.  
  
"Have a seat officers ang congratulations on your latest success."  
  
"Uh...thanks," said Ingrid uncertainly.  
  
"Did you two notice the rare smile on my face?" Folsome asked them.  
  
"Yeah," said Fillmore hoping she'd get to the point soon.  
  
"Well," she continued, "that smile is there because I'm going on vacation."  
  
"Ummm...congratulations. But what does that have to do with us?"  
  
"Well, Officer Third, you and Officer Fillmore are the two best Safety Patrollers we have here at X."  
  
There was a pause, Fillmore and Ingrid had always been told they were the best.  
  
"But obviously you two already know that. Well, as the top patrollers you two willl have extra duties while I'm gone. Namely the Mother's Day Banquet."   
  
As Folsome continued to explain Ingrid sat silently staring into space. By the end of Folsome's 30min. talk all Ingrid knew was that today was Friday, Mother's Day was in a week, and Folsome would be back Thursday which was the day of the banquet.  
  
"Did you hear what Folsome threatened us ith this time? If we don't come through she's going to turn HQ into a faculty lounge and meditation center." Fillmore said as they walked down the hall after leaving Folsome's office. But then he noticed that Ingrid wasn't listening. "Uh, hello? Earth to Ingrid." He waved his hand in front of her face.  
  
"What?" Ingrid asked slowly coming out of her trance.  
  
"Are you okay?" Fillmore questioned, "you've seemed a little out of it for a week now."  
  
"I'm fine," she said, "really," she added seeing the unbelieving look on Fillmore's face.  
  
"Well...okay. If you're sure." He said, still not believing that his partner was anywhaere near fine. "I'll see you Tuesday then. Take care Ingrid."  
  
"Mmmm," mummbled Ingrid as she half-heartedly waved goodbye. She was once again entranced in her own thoughts.  
  
Ingrid spent her whole three day weekend in her room and when she returned to school on Tuesday she couldn't concentrate.  
  
"Ingrid, we have to start patrolling." Fillmore was once again trying to capture Ingrid's attention, but as ususal, she was lost in thought and not listening. Fillmore rolled his eyes and started to shake her shoulder gently. "Ingrid? Ingriiiid. Ingrid."  
  
"What!?" She said fiercly, almost shouting.  
  
"Whoa," Fillmore said taking a step back. "Um...we've got hall duty."   
  
"Oh okay," and as an afterthought she added,"Hey Fillmore, I'm sorry, it's just-"  
  
"It's cool, forget about it okay?" But in reality Fillmore had no idea why Ingrid was so irritable. This was Tuesday and she'd been acting this way way since the Friday before last. He knew something was up, but he couldn't figure out what. Plus he had a suspicion that Ingrid didn't want him to know. And one thing he'd picked up from working with Ingrid for so long was that if she didn't want you to know, you weren't going to figure it out.  
  
'I shouldn't have yelled at him.' Ingrid thought as she was walking home later. 'He doesn't know, although you'd think he'd be the first to figure it out.' Fillmore couldn't know that while she was staring seemingly blankly ahead she was having flashbacks of the worst day of her life. Ingrid sighed, she'd appologize tomorrow. 


	2. Act II

A/N This is my first ff so if it's not that good you'll know why. Please excuse any spelling or grammer errors, I try. So, here's my next chapter. Summary-Ingrid and Fillmore fight. No one is reading this no one ever reads A/Ns. At least I dont.  
  
audi katia- Thanks for the rose and the applause. Yes, you're right. And yes, it's sad. You were my first reviewer, yay! And btw I read your whole profile, so where's my cookie?  
  
Mousas-Thanks for your review. I read your profile too and yes you are a slacker. Lol just kidding. Anyway thanks again.  
  
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Wednesday Ingrid didn't eat or talk much. She was in the library when Fillmore radioed her. "Ingrid, get to the cafeteria ASAP! Two thugs just started a food fight and I've got them on the run."  
  
"On my way." Ingrid quickly made her way towards the cafeteria. Just then the two perps raced past her. Usually she would have been on their tails but she wasn't really feeling up to a chase. She was about to radio some backup or at least Fillmore when she heard a voice behind her.  
  
"Ingrid! What are you doing?" It was Fillmore and he was not happy.  
  
"I-I was-"  
  
"Nevermind, we'll talk later." Fillmore ran around the coner. Ingrid took a diiferent hallway and cought the perps.  
  
Later Ingrid was about to tell Vallejo that she was going to skip the after school beat when Fillmore came up behind her. "What was wrong with you earlier, Ingrid?"  
  
"Nothing Fillmore, I'm fine."  
  
"Well, you aren't acting fine."  
  
"Fillmore, I said I'm fine! Just drop it ok?"  
  
"There you go again! Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Doing what? What am I doing?"  
  
"You're acting weird. And you've been acting weird for about two weeks now. If you've got a problem with me it needs to be settled. You almost blew it today. What if it had been more important then just a food fight. Something really bad could have happened and it would be our fault. Ingrid, we've got a job to do."  
  
"I'm not going to stand here and listen to this, I'm leaving."  
  
"So you're just going to walk away? That solves everything doesn't it?"  
  
Ingrid sighed, "listen Fillmore," she said calmly, "stop worrying about me. I'm fine just give me a few days."  
  
Fillmore crossed his fingers behind his back. "Sure Ingrid."  
  
"Thanks Fillmore. Late."  
  
***********************************************************************Two hours later Fillmore was standing on Ingrid's porch. "This had better be worth it," he said to himself as he rang the doorbell. Mr. Third answered the door.  
  
"Oh, hello Fillmore. Come on in. Ingrid's upstairs, napping I think. Do you want me to go get her?"   
  
"No Mr. Third, I actually came to talk to you. It's about her. She's been acting weird."  
  
"Has she been quiet?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Withdrawn?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Irritable?"  
  
"Very!"  
  
"Oh this happens every year around this time. None of her friends have ever come to our house though. Then again she's never really had any friends, not since, well... Anyway Fillmore, she'll be fine in a few days I promise."  
  
"Uh that's great Mr. Third, but is there anything I can do now? Like to help her."  
  
"Just try to be understanding."  
  
"But Mr. Third, I don't understand. She wont tell me what's wrong with her."  
  
"You really want to know?"  
  
"Ingrid's my best friend. If she's going through something that makes her misserable or upset then of course I want to know."  
  
Mr. Third smiled, reached onto a shelf, and pulled down a picture album. He flipped through the pages and stopped on a picture of a little girl in a yellow sundress. "This is my Ingrid when she was five."  
  
"What? No that can't be Ingrid. Her hair is long, and curly, and she's wearing yellow!"  
  
"Oh Ingrid used to wear lots of colors, but that was before."   
  
"Before what?"  
  
"Ingrid's mother was driving home from the store one night with Ingrid in the car. It was raining and my wife was trying to concentrate on the road. Ingrid dropped her book she was reading and she asked her mother to pick it up, she was only five and she couldn't reach it. Well anyway her mother did, but since she had been distracted from the road she lost control of the car. It slid off the road and got hit by another car. Ingrid's mother died, but Ingrid was fine. But she blamed herself, she said if she hadn't asked her mother to pick up her book then she's still be alive. She started wearing only black. Her mother had loved Ingrid's long hair, so Ingrid cut it and had it straightened. She's never been the same since."  
  
"Oh snap! And with Mother's Day coming up, no wonder she's acting this way."  
  
"Well, actually she could handle Mother's Day. But her mother died the day after Mother's Day."  
  
"Why didn't she tell me?"  
  
"She hasn't stopped blaming herself. She still feels guilty. She still thinks it's her fault."  
  
"Wow. Well, I guess I'll go then. Thank you Mr. Third. But please, don't tell Ingrid about this. She'll kill me."  
  
"He doesn't have to tell me!" Said a voice from the top of the stairs. Fillmore had never heard Ingrid so angry before.  
  
"Ingrid I-"  
  
"What do you think you're doing here? What right do you have to come over to my house and get my father to tell you stuff about me?"  
  
"Ingrid come on, I was worried about you."  
  
"I told you I was fine."   
  
"But you weren't acting fine."  
  
"I told you to give me a few days and you said you would! My life is not a case for the Safety Patrol, or you, or any other person! You can't just investigate it like you investigate anything else!"  
  
"But Ingrid-"  
  
Ingrid sighed, "Just go home Fillmore."  
  
"Come on, this is me, Fillmore."  
  
"I know, and I want you to leave." With that she turned and went back upstairs.  
  
Fillmore sighed, "Well, thank you Mr. Third."  
  
"Anytime Fillmore, don't worry about Ingrid, she'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah sure," he replied doubtfully. "Bye Mr. Third."  
  
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A/N So what do you think I'm totally open to constructive critisism. I don't think it's very good, but Ingrid was hard to write for. She doesn't show a lot of emotion in the show but I tried to keep her in character. 


	3. Act III

A/N: So, this is my last chaoter, I know it's short. Anyway thank you guys for reviewing. (audi thanks for the cookie.) Ingrid's sister is in this chapter, everyone says her name is Ariel, but I could have sworn it's Ariella. Anyway it doesn't matter. So here it is, enjoy!  
  
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Ingrid was laying on her bed when there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?" She asked, expecting Fillmore or her father.  
  
"It's Ariella," said her sister, "can I come in?"  
  
"Sure," Ingrid answered, relieved.  
  
"Dad told me what happened, Ingrid."  
  
"That figures," Ingrid shot back, mad at her father.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell Fillmore yourself?"  
  
"Because it's none of his business!"  
  
"He was really worried about you."  
  
"Why should he have been? I told him I was fine. My life is not a case for him to solve. I told him to give me some time and he said he would. He lied."  
  
"You are so right," agreed Ariella, getting a new idea.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah," she said, getting up and walking to the door. "He had absolutly no right to come over here." And then she added sarcasticly, "I mean, you don't go over to his house and mess around in his life just baecause he's acting odd."  
  
"Wait!" Ingrid called as her sister began to leave. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well Ingrid, you don't exactly stay out of his life, you know."  
  
"Like when?"  
  
"Ok...you remember that time when Fillmore had to go undercover in the mini golf tourney?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Well, first of all you volunteered him without asking him first-"  
  
"But usually he-"  
  
"Then, when he acted strange you wouldn't leave him alone about it." Ariella went on ignoring her sister's interruption. "And then, when he wouldn't tell you what was up you went over to his house and made him tell you."  
  
"That's different," said Ingrid, trying to defend herself. "He was acting weird and I was worried about him. I was just being a good friend."  
  
"Exactly. Ingrid, Fillmore wasn't trying to violate your privacy. He knew you weren't fine snd since you wouldn't tell him anything, it made him worried. He was just trying to be a good friend."  
  
"Well, I guess you're right," said Ingrid, not wanting to admit she was wrong.  
  
"I know I am," said Ariella standing up to leave. "Oh and Ingrid, can I tell you one more thing?"  
  
"Sure, shoot."  
  
"You're really lucky to have Fillmore as a friend."  
  
"Yeah, I know I am." And she meant it, there weren't a lot of people like Fillmore. She was going to have to do a lot of appologizing to make up for this.  
  
At the same time Ingrid and Ariella were talking Fillmore was walking home alone. 'Maybe I shouldn't have gone over there. Maybe I should have just given her some space' he thought. "Man, how am iI gonna make up for this one?" He asked himself.  
  
The next day Ingrid was waiting for Fillmore on his porch when he came out. "Look Ingrid, I-"  
  
"Let's walk," Ingrid interrupted.  
  
"Uh...ok. Listen, I'm sorry about last night I just-"  
  
"You're sorry? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Yes I did. I crossed the line. You're not a case forr me to solve, you told me to back off and I wouldn't listen."  
  
"No way Fillmore, I'm sorry. I should have told you what was up. You were just doing what you thought was right. And I'm glad you did."  
  
"For real?"  
  
"Yeah, thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For worrying."  
  
"No problem. And Ingrid, it's not your fault."  
  
"I thought we just established that this whole argument was my fault."  
  
"No, I don't mean that. I mean about your mom. It's not your fault."  
  
Ingrid just looked at him, ony Fillmore would have the guts to bring that up. " But Fillmore it-"  
  
"No, really Ingrid. It's not your fault, it never was. You've been hanging on to this to long. You have to let it go or you're never gonna feel better. You'll never be happy."  
  
"What are you, a grief conselor?"  
  
"If you need me to be."  
  
Ingrid looked at the ground, thinking. Then slowly, she nodded. "Okay."  
  
"So, are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine."  
  
"And are we good?"  
  
Ingrid looked up and straight at Fillmore. "Yeah. Yeah, we're great."  
  
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A/N: Did you like it? Still hoping that they're in character. Anyway, if you did like it and you want to read my next story it's going to be called "She's Gone" I'll start it either Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, I hope you'll check it out it'll be much longer I promise. But if you don't read it thanks for reading this one! :) 


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